AI products for your pets: Since the pandemic, the pet industry, also called the “pet economy, ” has undergone several changes. As people stayed longer hours inside their homes, more became pet owners to have a furry friend who could help with their loneliness. This led to the influx of money into the pet industry and the introduction of more convenient technological tools leveraging artificial intelligence.

Steady Rise of Pet-Related Technology

Experts say that pet-related technology has increased since 10 years ago. American and European companies have launched smart toys for pets powered by sensors and processors. According to Grand View Research, the global pet care market sized up to $US 150 billion in 2021 and will be over $US 155 billion in 2022. The research centre said that the size will surpass $US 235 billion by 2030.

This could be from the increase of pet owners (especially little pets, like cats or dogs) and more interest in healthcare and the well-being of the pets. The rising trend of humanizing adopted pets and providing good care for them could be drivers of the growth of the market as well. 

RWAVE, an online app and platform developer in Korea, also launched “Petpuls“, a device that can read dogs’ emotions in 2021. The company collected data on dogs of different sizes and breeds and analyzed their barking noise to decide the reasons for their barking. Owners of the dogs can see how their dogs are feeling with a smartphone app linked to the device. 

The company recently partnered with another Korean pet tech company Mongplus and developed “Say Plus”, which allows an owner and their dogs to communicate. Using Say Plus, owners would be able to get estimates of their dogs’ moods based on their barking noises and translate human language into sounds that dogs can understand. The companies explain that this will improve mutual conversations between people and their dogs.

Reading Mind of Pets With AI

With the introduction of big data and AI, experts say that there will be machines that can help pet owners to understand the behaviours and thoughts of their furry friends in the future.

There already was a case where AI was used to train pets. Companion, a tech company based in San Francisco, California, introduced its automated dog training device “Trainer“, powered by AI processors. The device trains dogs who stay home without their owner’s supervision for long, analyzes dogs’ behaviours and predicts their next moves.

Trainer can make orders to dogs and give treats if dogs can follow the given orders well. When dogs are about to do something that owners do not want, Trainer can distract the dogs by teaching a new trick or making noise. The company said that its device would be able to give more comfort to the dogs feeling lonely without their owners at home.

Looking After the Health of Pets Thorugh AI

Several Korean companies are also working on making AI-based software and hardware for identifications and essential health check-ups as well.

Petnow, a pet tech company based in Seoul, registers information about dogs based on the wrinkles on their noses on their app. Users of the app can identify a dog by taking a picture of it if their information is on the system. The company explains that the app can auto-focus the lens even if a dog in the frame moves around, and its accuracy rate is above 95 per cent. Petnow added that this would prevent registered dogs from being lost without their owners outside and easier to send them back home. 

Smartsound, the AI smart stethoscope builder, launched “WithaPET”, a stethoscope for pets, last November. The device detects heart and lung sounds and estimates rates of heartbeat and breathing in real-time. The device is backed by 12-year-long data collected from doctor-patient cases, with adaptation for pets. 

There also is an AI-powered app designated to check the results from this stethoscope, allowing users to check the health status of their pets without a visit to a vet. The company expects to advance its product to provide thorough health check-ups or screening services in the future as well.